Electronic candle

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is an electronic candle, which includes a center stick of wax with a wick for burning, a perfume stick surrounding the center stick of wax for giving off a good smell when melting, an electronic device, which is fastened to the perfume stick at the bottom side and has a circuit board and a photo sensor for driving the circuit board to produce sound and lighting effects during burning of the wick of the center stick of wax, and optical fibers embedded in the center stick for transmitting light from the flame burning at the wick to the photo sensor to induce the photo sensor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to candles and more particularly, to an electronic candle, which produces sound and lighting effects when the wick of the candle body thereof is burning.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

A conventional electronic candle is generally comprised of a candle body and an electronic device. The electronic device is used as holder means to hold the candle body, having a light emitting and/or sound generating circuit means. When the wick of the candle body is burning, the user can switch on the electronic device to emit light and/of to produce sound.

According to this design, the user controls the operation of electronic device manually through a manual switch, i.e., the electronic device does not work automatically upon burning of the wick of the candle body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. According to one aspect of the present invention, the electronic candle comprises a candle body, the candle body comprising a center stick of wax and a perfume stick surrounding the center stick of wax, the center stick of wax having a wick, the perfume stick being formed of a mixture containing a wax and a perfume; an electronic device fastened to a bottom side of the perfume stick, the electronic device comprising a circuit board adapted to produce sound and lighting effects, and a photo sensor adapted to control the operation of the circuit board; and at least one optical fiber embedded in the center stick and adapted to transmit light from the flame burning at the wick of the center stick to the photo sensor to induce the photo sensor. According to another aspect of the present invention, the candle body further comprises an isolating layer surrounding the perfume stick to prevent quick vaporization of the good smell of the perfume contained in the perfume stick. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the perfume stick can be made of a jelly candle with a perfume contained therein. According to still another aspect of the present invention, a protective end cap is fastened to the wick to prevent contact of the wick with the electronic device. The protective end cap is a heat conducting ring made metal, ceramics, or glass. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the electronic device further comprises a tubular shade provided at the top side thereof. The shade has a plurality of peripheral holes for guiding in light from the light emitting elements of the circuit board to induce the photo sensor, preventing interruption of the operation of the photo sensor due to floating of the flame upon a wind.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic candle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the electronic candle according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is side view in section of the electronic candle according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the electronic device for the electronic candle according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an assembly view of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the present invention, showing one installation example of the electronic device in the candle body.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the present invention, showing another installation example of the electronic device in the candle body.

FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing showing an operation status of the electronic candle according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a side view in section of an alternate form of the electronic candle according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1˜3, an electronic candle in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising a center stick 1, a perfume stick 2, an electronic device 3, and an outer isolating tube 4. The center stick 1 is a stick of wax concentrically axially set through the perfume stick 2 and forming with the perfume stick 2 the body of the electronic candle. The outer isolating tube 4 is a tube of isolating substance, for example, wax that surrounds the perfume stick 2, preventing quick loss of the good smell of the perfume stick 2.

The center stick 1 is a stick of wax having a wick 11 through it. The perfume stick 2 is a stick of wax added with a perfume such as lavender, Pythoncidere, bergamot, santalaceae, or the like. Alternatively, the perfume stick 2 can be a jelly candle with a perfume in it. The electronic device 3 is set in the bottom side of the electronic candle and controlled by light to produce a lighting or sound effect, having at least one, for example, two optical fibers 5 axially embedded in the center stick 1 and extended to the topmost edge of the center stick 1 for guiding in light to start the electronic device 3. Because the optical fibers 5 is embedded in the center stick 1, it is well protected by the center stick 1 against the corrosion of the perfume in the perfume stick 2. The outer isolating tube 4 has a cylindrical and upwardly extending open chamber 41 and a closed bottom wall 42. The electronic device 3 is set in the open chamber 41 of the outer isolating tube 4 and supported on the closed bottom wall 42.

The isolating tube 4 according to this embodiment is molded from wax. Alternatively, the isolating tube 4 can be made of paper, plastic film, paint, or any of a variety of other suitable materials for surrounding the perfume stick 2 to prevent loss of the good smell of the perfume stick 2 before use.

When burning the wick 11, the center stick 1 and the perfume stick 2 are gradually melted and vaporized, and at the same time the light of the flame is transmitted through the optical fibers 5 to the electronic device 3, thereby starting the electronic device 3. When the wick 11 is extinguished, the electronic device 3 is off.

The wick 11 has the bottom end thereof extending out of the bottom side of the center stick 1 and mounted with a protective end cap 12. The protective end cap 12 is a heat conducting ring made of metal, ceramics, glass, or the like that prevents direct contact of the center stick 1 and the wick 11 with the electronic device 3, isolates the electronic device 3 from wax oil, and absorbs heat from the burning wick 11, causing the wick 11 to extinguish when the flame reached the wick 11 reached the protective end cap 12.

Referring to FIGS. 3-5, the electronic device 3 is comprised of a holder base 31, a cover 32, a circuit board 33, a photo sensor 34, and the aforesaid optical fibers 5.

The holder base 31 is a hollow shell having a plurality of upright hooks 311 for securing the cover 32, a plurality of peripheral lugs 312 for engagement with the isolating tube 4 (see FIG. 6) or stopping against the inside wall of the isolating tube 4 within the open chamber 41 (see FIG. 7), and a battery set 313 mounted on the inside (see FIG. 8).

The cover 32 is covered on the holder base 31, having a plurality of peripheral locating notches 323 respectively fastened to the upright hooks 311 of the holder base 31, a center through hole 321, and a plurality of lamp holes 322. Further a tubular shade 324 is fixedly provided at the top side of the cover 32 around the center through hole 321, having a plurality of peripheral holes 325 corresponding to the lamp holes 322.

The circuit board 33 is mounted in the holder base 31, comprising a plurality of light emitting elements 331 (lamp bulbs or light emitting diodes) respectively inserted through the lamp holes 322.

The photo sensor 34 is installed in the circuit board 33 corresponding to the center through hole 321 of the cover 32 and connected to the fiber optics 5 for controlling the operation of the circuit board 33 when induced by light passing through the optical fibers 5.

The optical fibers 5 are glass fibers embedded in the center stick 1 for transmitting light, each having one end inserted through an EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) pad 51 and connected to the photo sensor 34. As shown in the drawings, the two optical fibers 5 are embedded in the center stick 1 and respectively upwardly extending to the topmost edge and a middle part of the center stick 1.

Further, the center stick 1 and the perfume stick 2 are preferably transparent or translucent. During burning of the wick 11, light from the flame at the wick 11 is transmitted through the optical fibers 5 to the photo sensor 34, thereby causing the photo sensor 34 to drive the light emitting elements 331 of the circuit board 33 to emit light, thereby producing a lighting effect.

As stated above, the isolating tube 4 surrounds the perfume stick 2, preventing quick vaporization of the perfume contained in the perfume stick 2 before the use of the electronic candle. During burning of the wick 11, the perfume stick 2 is melting gradually to give off a good smell. The perfume used in the perfume stick 2 is selected subject to different purposes. For example, a perfume stick containing lavender is suitable for use in a birthday party; a perfume stick containing santalaceae is suitable for religious ceremony. During melting of the perfume stick 2 to give off a good smell, the photo sensor 34 is induced to drive the light emitting elements 331 of the circuit board 33 to produce a lighting effect.

As indicated above, the tubular shade 324 has a plurality of peripheral holes 325 corresponding to the lamp holes 322. During operation of the light emitting elements 331, light from the light emitting elements 331 passes through the peripheral holes 325 to the photo sensor 34, preventing interruption of the operation of the photo sensor 34 due to floating of the flame upon a wind. After the flame of the wick 1 has been extinguished, the photo sensor 34 is off, and the electronic device 3 is off.

Further, the protective end cap 12 is a reflector that reflects light, and has a design, for example, logo, pattern, or letters carried thereon. During burning of the wick 11, the protective end cap 12 reflects the light of the flame onto the ceiling (see FIG. 8), and therefore the design of the protective end cap 12 is mapped onto the ceiling.

FIG. 9 shows an alternate form of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the electronic candle is comprised of a center stick 1, a perfume stick 2, and an electronic device. This embodiment eliminates the aforesaid isolating tube 4. Without the aforesaid isolating tube 4, the electronic candle is not suitable for storage for a long time because the good smell of the perfume contained in the perfume stick 2 will pass off gradually.

A prototype of electronic candle has been constructed with the features of FIGS. 1˜9. The electronic candle functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the circuit board can be designed to have a much IC that plays music when the photo sensor is induced. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. 

1. An electronic candle comprising: a candle body, said candle body comprising a center stick of wax and a perfume stick surrounding said center stick of wax, said center stick of wax having a wick, said perfume stick being formed of a mixture containing a wax and a perfume; an electronic device fastened to a bottom side of said perfume stick, said electronic device comprising a circuit board adapted to produce sound and lighting effects, and a photo sensor adapted to control the operation of said circuit board; and at least one optical fiber embedded in said center stick and adapted to transmit light from the flame burning at said wick of said center stick to said photo sensor to induce said photo sensor.
 2. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an isolating layer surrounding said perfume stick.
 3. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 2, wherein said isolating layer is a tube of wax.
 4. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 2, wherein said isolating layer is made of a material selected from a material groups including paper, plastic film, and paint.
 5. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said candle body has a chamber and a close bottom side; said electronic device is mounted in said chamber and supported on said close bottom side of said candle body.
 6. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a protective end cap fastened to said wick to prevent contact of said wick with said electronic device.
 7. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 6, wherein said protective end cap is a heat conducting ring.
 8. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 7, wherein said heat conducting ring is made of a material selected from a material groups including metal, ceramics, and glass.
 9. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 6, wherein said protective end cap carries a design.
 10. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electronic device further comprises a holder base holding said circuit board and said photo sensor, a battery set mounted in said holder base and electrically connected to said circuit board, and a cover covered on said holder base.
 11. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 10, wherein said holder base comprises a plurality of upright hooks; said cover has a plurality of peripheral locating notches respectively forced into engagement with said upright hooks of said holder base.
 12. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 10, wherein said holder base comprises a plurality of peripheral lugs for positioning in said candle body.
 13. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 10, wherein said cover has a center hole for the passing of said at least one optical fiber, and a plurality of through holes spaced around said center hole for the passing of component parts of said circuit board.
 14. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 13, wherein said electronic device further comprises a tubular shade provided at a top side of said cover around said center through hole, said shade having a plurality of peripheral holes corresponding to said through holes.
 15. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said circuit board comprises at least one light emitting device.
 16. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one optical fiber includes a first optical fiber embedded in said center stick of wax and extending out of top and bottom sides of said center stick of wax, and at least one second optical fiber embedded in said center stick of wax and extending upwards to a middle part of said center stick of wax.
 17. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said center stick of wax and said perform stick are transparent.
 18. The electronic candle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said center stick of wax and said perfume stick are translucent. 